Bacteria and viruses in breast milk

Abstract

Advances in sequencing technology have enabled more detailed analysis of breast milk that contributes to better understanding of microbiome composition and diversity, identifying several hundred species of bacteria. This review provides data on the characteristics of the breast milk microbiome, including the content of viruses, fungi, and archaea. The composition of milk viruses depends on the same conditions as the composition of bacteria. Bacteriophages form the main component of the breast milk virome. Data on the content of fungi and archaea are scarce. The study of the composition of breast milk is of practical importance, making it possible to bring the composition of artificial substitutes closer to the natural source of infant nutrition. Key words: microbiota, breast milk, microbiome, virome, archeome, mycobiome